Russia detains one more ‘spy' in Crimea – now its own ex-military

FSB arrested former Russian military for "spying for Ukraine" in Crimea's Sevastopol

A former serviceman of the Black Sea Fleet HQ Leonid Parkhomenko was detained in the strategic port city of Sevastopol on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, UNIANreports.

FSB argues that the man has allegedly been collecting intelligence on Russian fleet operations for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

"November 22, the Federal Security Service in the city of Sevastopol detained a former serviceman from the Black Sea Fleet Headquarters, Captain 2nd rank(equivalent of Commander in British Navy – UT) of army reserve Parkhomenko Leonid Sergeyevich," theFSBstatement reads.

Russian ‘law enforcers' claim that Parkhomenko "collected and handed over classified information about the activities of the Black Sea Fleet to the foreign secret service," namely Ukrainian Military Intelligence.

According to the Russian Criminal Code, Parkhomenko faces up to 20 years in prison if the court proves treason.

The speaker of the Ministry of Defence Colonel Andrei Lysenko commented the incident in a way that Russia takes the names of new "Ukrainian saboteurs" from the personal files of data base of former military, who served in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukrainian or Russian fleet.

"Details of the alleged detention of ‘Ukrainian spy' is a continuation of the Russian FSB show, which, unfortunately, we expect to continue... The Russian special services will facilitate their work, using the database with the personal data of former serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation," Lysenko told 'Ukrainska pravda'.

According to the speaker, these people have been civilians for long time, doing business and having no relation to military service.

"FSB is just enjoying this way since it is very easy to raise these cases and to appoint more and more ‘saboteurs.' They can accuse anyone who was involved in military services," Colonel explained.